Become-a-Member-Agency

The 16 Counties We Serve

Southeast Missouri Food Bank serves 150 member agencies in 16 counties in Southeast Missouri. Every week these agencies collectively feed 40,000 people. They are the front line of hunger-relief efforts in our communities. Member agencies

include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters

for the abused and homeless, senior citizen programs, low-income children’s programs and non-profit rehabilitation facilities.

To be eligible to receive product from the Food Bank and to receive an application, an organization must be a church or a private, nonprofit organization with 501 (c)(3) IRS status, and must be located within one of the 16 counties served by Southeast Missouri Food Bank. The organization must be operating a program that feeds low-income people and does not charge for the food. Programs are divided into two types: pantry or on-site program. A pantry program provides grocery items to people to take home. An on-site program serves a snack and/or meal to people to eat at the organization's or church's physical location.

Know the Benefits.

Southeast Missouri Food Bank works with 150 Partner Member agencies in 16 counties in Southeast Missouri. Our mission is to promote food recovery; acquire and distribute food and household products; and provide community leadership and education on issues of hunger and poverty in an effort to alleviate hunger in the region. While on the front lines making this happen, we are working behind the scenes to facilitate this process. Here are some of the things we are doing for you, our partner member agencies.

The Food Bank offers you a wide variety of food and non-food items, including shelf stable foods, fresh produce, and meat products, ready-to-eat entrees, beverages, health, and hygiene items and paper products.

The Food Bank maintains relationships with local and national food donors and with Feeding America and other Food Banks on your behalf. These relationships allow us to respond to large donations distributing it to you quickly and equitably.

Only member agencies have access to USDA commodities through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income needy persons. Last year we distributed milk, rice, pinto beans, fresh and canned vegetables, canned and frozen fruit, fruit juice and meat to our emergency food programs at no cost to them.

The Food Bank maintains a good working relationship with the media, which allows us to call attention to hunger and poverty issues throughout the communities in our service area.

As a member agency, you can order grocery products email ordering system. The order list is updated monthly. We pull the order for you and, when you arrive for your scheduled pick up, it is ready to load or delivered. You also have a choice to come to the Food Bank once a week and “shop” in our designated area.

The Food Bank solicits grants on your behalf, including capacity-building grants to purchase vans, freezers and refrigerators; grants to start and maintain programs, such as our Backpacks For Friday Program and Mobile Food Pantry; and grants to purchase emergency food for member agencies.

The Food Bank delivers food to all member agencies at an additional shared maintenance fee of 10 cents per pound.

The Food Bank is regularly inspected by the USDA, and Feeding America so you can be assured that the food we offer meets the highest standards of food safety. The Food Bank will also alert you within 24 hours of receiving word from the USDA of any food recall notices.

The Food Bank advocates for you on the local, state and national levels through a full-time Advocacy and Public Policy Manager, who monitors all legislation having to do with hunger and poverty issues. Recent actions we have taken on your behalf have resulted in additional commodities from the USDA through the Farm Bill and the stimulus package.

The Food Bank provides you with training, information and best practices through a variety of channels. We offer yearly workshops to familiarize you with the newest Food Bank policies and procedure. We pass along helpful information to you through e-newsletters. We provide you with a community with which to network and share best practices.

If you meet these requirements, please send an email to merice@feedingamerica.org, with your name, organizations name and a brief sentence about what your organization provides.